Chinese Award-winning graffiti artist Shang Xiaoyue

Shang's piece "Let the dead RIP and the Living Never Give up" occupies a wall at Zhejiang Normal University in memory of the Sichuan earthquake. Photos: Courtesy of Shang Xiaoyue
After losing his business and returning home, award-winning graffiti artist Shang Xiaoyue is still holding on to "one last dream."

Taking forgotten buildings and empty construction sites as his canvases, the native of Jinhua, Zhejiang Province creates by night to avoid being caught by the urban management officers (cheng-guan), all the while hoping one day for a legitimate place to practice his passion.

Winner of the 2007 Yintai Cup held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province and finalist of the 2008 Wall Lords Graffiti Competition, the biggest of its kind in Asia, the 25-year-old art education major is doing his part to help people recognize graffiti as an important art form.

"In many cities there are legal areas for people to write graffiti. We should have our own legal space," Shang said.